Thanksgiving Day Parade: Which Streets Will Close and When

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will lead to lots of street closures in the Upper West Side and Midtown Wednesday and Thursday.
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MANHATTAN — It may be best to avoid driving in the Upper West Side and Midtown the next two days.

The Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons are set to be inflated Wednesday for the annual procession on Thursday which heads down Central Park West to 6th Avenue and ends at 34th Street.

Here how both events will affect your neighborhood.

Starting at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, 81st and 77th streets will be closed from Central Park West to Columbus Avenue. You can grab a view of the balloons on both streets from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Enter the viewing area from the west side of Columbus Avenue at 79th Street — and expect crowds.

West 79th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam will close to vehicular traffic at 2:30 p.m.

At 3 p.m. the following streets will also close to traffic:

• West 77th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues
• West 78th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues
• West 80th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues
• West 81st Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues
• Central Park Transverse Road at Central Park West and West 81 St. (Both Directions)

After 10 p.m. 81st and 77th streets will close from Central Park West to Columbus Avenue. Parade activities will close down Central Park West from 86th to 59th streets.

The following streets will be closed Thursday at 8 a.m. for the parade formation:

• West 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• West 81st Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
• Central Park West between West 77th and 86th Streets

The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. from Central Park West and 77th Street and then along the following route:

• South on Central Park West to Columbus Circle
• South through the east side of Columbus Circle to 59th Street
• East on 59th Street to 6th Avenue
• South on 6th Avenue to 34th Street
• West on 34th Street to 7th Avenue (dispersal area)

And from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. trucks and other large vehicles will not be able to access the following streets:

• 6th Avenue between West 43rd and West 59th streets
• 8th Avenue between West 57th and West 59th streets
• Broadway between 49th and 57th streets
• 42nd Street between 5th and 8th avenues
• 57th Street between 5th and 8th avenues

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